Why Should Telecommunications Companies Care About e-Care?

e-Care, or digital customer service, is popular in the financial services industry. After companies in that industry found e-care to be extremely effective—both at reducing costs and increasing customer satisfaction—it started to become common in other industries as well. Telecommunications companies are especially well-suited to benefit from e-care. 

In this article, we’ll look at a few significant advantages of using e-care in the telecommunication industry. 

Better Customer Satisfaction

Nobody likes waiting on hold or standing in line at a service center. Most customers only need to make simple changes to their account or have minor questions about the service, tasks which can be easily achieved from online interfaces. Customers can also get access to information at a glance. Even tasks which were previously only possible in person, like getting new hardware on a payment plan, are easier and faster with e-care. 

In many parts of the world, only a few telecommunication companies are available in a particular region. Given that many of them offer similar services in these areas, good digital customer service can be a distinguishing feature that attracts and retains customers.

Lower Costs Associated With Customer Service

Call centers are far more expensive than operating a self-service website. In-person customer support is more expensive still. Although call centers and walk-up service centers are still necessary for solving the hairiest of problems, fewer human resources are necessary when companies offer e-care. Billing changes, simple information requests, service upgrades or cancellations, and other common tasks are trivial to complete online. 

Lower Call Center and Service Center Wait Times

Although e-care works better than phone-based or in-person customer service for the majority of today’s customers, many people still aren’t comfortable using online or self-service customer service. For some particularly complex tasks, speaking with a real human is a necessity. 

By implementing e-care and redirecting most customers to online customer support, call centers and in-person service centers are significantly less busy. With e-care, customer service representatives have to field fewer repetitive, trivial queries, so their efforts are better spent solving more complex problems. 

Integration With Other Services

MTN, the largest wireless operator in Africa opened their platform Ayoba to other businesses through a hackathon.  South African wireless developers Tsitsi Marote and Tino Manhema from Team Guardian Health, built an online booking system that demonstrated the power of e-care in a real-world situation. The integration of health data and e-care allows doctors to more efficiently determine and treat fetal abnormalities, saving the lives of babies and expectant mothers. This technology, involving machine learning and intelligent scheduling, is only possible with data-rich e-care solutions. 

What’s Next?

Overall, e-care is much less expensive than other customer service options for both the customer and the telecommunications company. Customers spend less time on hold and get their problems solved faster. Telcos spend less on call center expenses. When customers do need the use traditional in-person or phone customer service, representatives are more available to solve complex problems. 

Implementing e-care requires strategic and technical expertise.  New and exciting technologies are already making inroads such as Artificial Intelligence, automated chat bots, preventive care, and e-commerce automation among many others. Telcos may be able to save money and produce a better e-care product by working with experienced third-party developers. 

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